Till the Day We Die
by Kalista77
Summary: Three years after the events of the Avengers, Thanos comes to destroy the world. Loki offers them a chance.


Tony poured himself another glass of scotch.

He was standing behind the bar in Avengers Tower in almost the exact same position he had been the last time a certain delusional god had been threatening the world with his army from outer space. That had been the day the Avengers were born. It had been three years ago.

Now he was looking at the floor at the spot where there had been a god-shaped imprint left over from the Hulk's rampage wondering how it had come to this.

"I know this isn't you," he spoke quietly to the seemingly empty room, but he knew better. Even a mind-controlled Loki wouldn't have been able to stay away.

"It doesn't really matter either way, though, does it?" The voice came from all around him, a quiet, resigned sound that eventually solidified as coming from a single source.

Loki was standing there, looking out the window, this time without the glowstick of destiny, but that didn't matter. He was just as controlled as he had been the first time he had stood before Tony in this way.

Three years. It had taken them far too long to realize that Loki wasn't to blame for his actions. It had taken far too long for them to go to him for help against Thanos, the real enemy, but they had, eventually. And then Loki had helped them. Quietly at first, and then with growing confidence and snark, Loki had helped them prepare the Earth for a battle that they could not win. They all knew it, too.

But it hadn't mattered.

Just as Loki's past hadn't mattered to Tony, who had fallen for the god in weeks.

Just as Tony's past hadn't mattered to Loki, who had reciprocated his feelings.

But now it was all falling apart.

Thanos' hooks had never completely left the young god's mind, and as he closed in on Earth, Loki had grown more and more unstable.

Maybe if they'd seen the signs sooner, they could have done something, but by the time they realized what was wrong, Loki's eyes had already turned a strange shade of blue. He attacked them in their own home, and now the Titan was coming. It was almost over.

"Come back to me," Tony pleaded. "We can fight him together."

"No." Loki turned to look at him, and Tony inhaled sharply- _his eyes were green!_ "But you can win. We're connected now, the Titan and I. If you kill me, he will be weakened. You can end this, Anthony," Loki pleaded. "You can end this for all of us."

Tony shook his head, his own eyes going blurry as tears streamed down his face. "No. I won't do this. We can find another way!"

Loki smiled sadly. "There isn't always another way, my Anthony." Loki vanished and reappeared in front of Tony, pulling the resisting inventor against his chest. "It's okay," he whispered. "If you don't, I'll hurt you. You've given me a home when I had none. Let me die in your arms, Anthony," he whispered. "Let me die at home, in peace."

"No," Tony shook his head, but even as he did so he raised his gauntleted hand. "Don't make me do this," he whispered.

"I love you, Anthony."

Tony looked deep into his eyes and watched as a full-body shudder went through the god and he lost the battle. Green eyes turned blue, and Tony watched the man that he loved disappear under malice and insanity.

"I love you," he vowed, and the sound of his repulsor firing seemed to echo through the entire Tower.

As Tony joined the rest of the Avengers in his suit, they looked at him in surprise.

"Loki?" Natasha asked, quiet, even as all their eyes fixed on the dark form of the Mad Titan's spaceship advancing on their small planet.

"Gave us a chance," Tony responded roughly. "We're not wasting it." With that, he blasted off from the ground. Using their own methods, the others were soon to follow.

On the floor of the Avenger's tower, the tall, green-eyed god laid unmoving on the floor, a hole blown through both his armor and chest directly where his heart should have been. His mouth was wearing a small smile as his still-open eyes gazed out the window.

Dead eyes watched in silence as Tony flew towards the sky.


End file.
